Opening Up
by jazthegreat
Summary: Percy Jackson, the kid with the tough background, meets Annabeth. Is trusting someone that easy? How can you open up to a person you barely know? AU
1. The First Time

"I'm leaving!" I called as I closed the door behind me. I heard my dad say something but I was in a rush, sorry dad.

You see, my friend Thalia 'accidentally' forgot to print out an extra handout for me which by the way is essential if I want to keep my oral grade up. I have to print it out at school before class starts which requires a little sprint to catch the buss if I don't want to miss my first class. Thanks to Thalia Grace who is a great friend.

As I reach the school building, I see the little group of sophomores like me who have been my best friends for years now. Thalia Grace, of course, with her night dark hair, electric blue eyes and freckles across her nose. She actually is a nice and upbeat person when you don't hit a nerve of hers. Another one of my closest friends, Leo Valdez, has curly black hair and dark brown eyes. Leo is the only person on Earth who can always have a mischievous smile on his face, like he is going to blow you up a second later. Piper McLean, the cute and pretty one of our group, Hazel, her best friend and also the quiet, shy one of us, and finally Frank, Hazel's destined-to-be boyfriend. It's obvious that they like each other, but they both are too shy to admit it, so we all are waiting for some confessions. Also, there is Jason, who is my best friend's twin brother with military cropped blonde hair and blue eyes just like Thalia's. Jason is not completely a part of the group because he doesn't always hang out with us an when he doesn't, we know that he is with his buddies from the basketball team. The members of the team are like brothers, at least it seems like it when I see Jason with them now and then.

I knew what they were talking about even before I reached them. "How can someone possibly write a 3000 word essay in 3 days?" Thalia was basically shouting in desperation. "That's rightdown homicide!"

"No, Thals, it only takes a couple of hours." I jumped into the conversation. "First, let's get the worksheets printed out, first class is History and we're going to need them"

The day went on slowly, painfully, as most days of school are. I had a couple of my classes with some of my friends, but still, I was suffering waiting for those lectures to end. My last period was Math and hopefully Thalia was in the same class. You can never get bored at Math when you are with Thalia, she keeps making fun of that poor new teacher. As much as I feel sorry for her, I must admit that I join Thalia sometimes. Hey! You can't blame me. I'm not the reason for that beard on her face.

Anyway, I was trying to understand how Modular Arithmetic worked out when Thalia started complaining about the essay homework again.

"That probably was a joke right? She can't expect us to write 3000 words in 3 days. Can she? Annie! I'm talking to you."

"I'm trying to listen, Thalia." "But what if she was right?"

"Okay" I whispered, frustrated. "I will help you. Just let me listen"

She looked content with my answer. "You are the best. Come to my house today and we will get this over with. You can also stay."

"Do you ever shut up?" I answered, but we both knew where I was staying tonight.

I didn't even need to call my dad to stay at Thalia's. When I don't come home after it becomes night, he knows who I am with, and doesn't freak out or start searching everywhere like a freak. That's an unspoken deal we've made.

"Have you picked the story you want to write about, or the author?" I asked as I plopped on her bed, laptop on my lap.

"First, you should ask if I have read any of them." Was her answer. The smart, hardworking, nerdy Thalia Grace.

I sighed as I went through the stories assigned to our class trying to pick one. "Maybe the story of the old man with—" I started saying as Thalia's phone started buzzing.

"It's mom, wait a second. Yes mom? No, no we are studying. No mom, we really are. Yes, I can study! Annabeth is also here. Okay, I will tell her, but we won't come. Seriously, do we have to? I don't care if Jason is there too, mom. Fine, fine, we will. Bye."

"Where are we going?" I asked, we hadn't even started!

"Have I ever told you about my cousin? Percy?" I nodded, I remembered some things Thalia told me about a Percy who was a year older than us, also, I knew that he was a junior at our school and in the basketball team because I had seen him with Jason and the team buddies. Plus, the sophomore girls were a little too much interested in the junior guys, so I have heard his name before between the gossips.

"Well, his mother and mine are pretty close friends, and they like to hang out and have a coffee once in a while. She is there again, and his mom told mine that she haven't seen me lately and missed me so much. Yes Annie, stop making that face, I know it's lame, but we have to go now. We'll write the essay later."

Thalia's mom was a really nice woman actually. She liked to drink and gamble and such, but Thalia and Jason didn't really care, so didn't I. When we got into the Blofis house, she got so excited that she called "Annie! You're here!" in a high pitched voice with a big smile on her face. Did I tell you that she really likes me? I went and hugged her, as the woman sitting across her stood up to hug Thalia.

We sat down, the woman, Sally apparently, served us some homemade cookies which were delicious by the way. She was a cute and cheerful person. The sun had set down when we decided that the tittle-tattle was enough. We were about to leave when Beryl recalled that we had forgotten Jason. She told us to go take him and left for home.

"Why do we always have to do the crappy work?" Thalia mumbled to herself mostly and lead me to the backyard. That's when I started to hear voices. 2 of them I knew. One belonged to Jason, the voice I have known since my childhood. The other was Charles Beckendorf, I talk to him now and then, when I see him at the library, or when we come across at some club meetings. I knew he is a nice guy. But I couldn't identify the third voice. It was obvious that it belonged to a guy. The voice was deep but it was warm and calming in some way.

"Oh, look at who is coming. My one and only sister." Jason called with a fake happiness and excitement. The others turned to us. I was right about Beckendorf, but what I saw on the other seat was more appealing to me. He had dark hair, a cute nose, and a cigarette in his hand, just like Beckendorf did.

"So you brought Annie too. At least there is someone we can have a humane talk with." Jason kept talking. I knew that Thalia was getting ready to attack him as I greeted Beckendorf and he turned to the other guy.

"Percy, meet Annabeth. Annabeth, this is Percy." He said. For the first time, I looked Percy Jackson in the eye. They were an absolutely gorgeous shade of sea green. A shade that you could get lost in for days. . His smile was mischievous but so perfect.

"Hi" he said. "I'm Percy."


	2. The Party

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a smoker myself but he looked so lost in thought and relaxed with the cigarette in his hand, I wanted to try. I've tried it and didn't like it before but this time, what I wanted to try was smoking with _him_.

I wanted to hear his story, to know why he was so lost, I wanted to learn what he was thinking about.

_That's weird_ I thought. _You barely know him. Why would he tell you anything?_ Seriously, why would he? _Why would he trust you?_

"So" I heard Thalia say. "Were you guys doing anything productive, or just killing time?"

"You must be really productive sister. What have you produced lately? A car, maybe?"

"We were studying, idiot. I was _producing _an essay."

I couldn't help the small chuckle leaving my mouth.

I was surprised when I heard the same sound coming from Percy too. For a second, our eyes met, and I felt my heart skip a beat. I quickly turned back to Thalia.

Thalia shot me a dangerous glare. "What is so funny?"

My brain was back again, fortunately. _We haven't even started the essay. _I mouthed Jason. Thalia's glare after that caused both of us to burst into laughter.

"Come on Thalia, we all know that you are not the most productive out of the people in this backyard right now." Beckendorf was laughing too by now.

Making fun of Thalia has always been one of my favorite hobbies but I couldn't help it when my eyes told my brain what they wanted to see. As I slowly shifted my gaze, I was a little disappointed when I couldn't find the amazing sea green looking in my direction.

Percy's gaze was fixed on the moon which has been up there in the sky for a solid couple of hours now. He wasn't looking at us. I wasn't even sure if he listened to us or he was aware of the fact that we were still there. That was weird. Whenever I saw Percy Jackson at school, with Jason, or anywhere with his friends, even when he wasn't with his friends, he would make jokes to strangers, start a conversation with people he didn't know. Not that he caught my attention or anything.

Maybe my glance was too strange or too much, after couple of seconds I realized that everyone had stopped talking and I heard Thalia clear her throat. I turned to her, as if asking what the hell she wanted, then to Percy again just to find him looking back at me.

_Wow_ I thought to myself. His eyes seemed so familiar for a reason I didn't know. Like I had known him all along. So calming yet so covered up.

A light smirk appeared on his face, then he dropped his cigarette on the floor.

"You should put it out before throwing it to the grass you know." I said, stomping on it.

"You know a little too much, don't you?"

"I know enough to not to set my house on fire."

The smile creeping on his face sent shivers down my spine.

"Whatever you say, Wise Girl."

The others have started talking about something else but I couldn't stop glancing at him. And I could swear I saw him looking at me once in a while.

"Good morning sunshine! You look beautiful today!" Starting the day with a couple of praises from Leo Valdez is the best you can get, believe me.

"Hi Leo. Please get out of my way, I'm trying to reach my locker." I was trying to walk but it's not something easy to go to bed at 2 AM after coming back from Percy's and waking up a 6. That wasn't fair. And Leo was making it less fair which was slowly driving me to the edge.

"No way. Are you coming to the party?" "What party? I don't go to parties. I only sleep. I love to sleep. Now get out of my way. I want to sleep."

"Okay. I thought you'd be interested in a party which is hosted by our one and only Jason Grace. Oh wait, actually he isn't hosting the party. He told me that he wanted it but it actually will take place in his cousin's house. Percy? You know, the junior?"

Why did the fact that it was taking place in Percy's house woke me up suddenly? He was throwing a party, so what? It's not like we're friends or anything.

" When is it?" Yes guys, that's called self control.

"Tomorrow. Everyone is talking about it. You seriously are sleeping all day long. So, I'm telling Jason to add you to the list, right?"

Did I want him to? You probably are now saying _What the hell is wrong with you? Just say yes. High school parties are cool. _Well, they don't always turn out to be cool for me because I can start crying and screaming in the middle of a party even without anyone touching me. Yes people, that's called a panic attack. Loud music, drunk teenagers and little place to move because there is people everywhere around me does that to me.

The seizures started when I was 7, when my mother died, to be more specific. We were driving; mom, dad and I and everything was amazing. Then came the big truck and then the loud noise. That's when I saw blood, like blood in huge amounts, for the first time. That's when I saw my mom not breathing for the first time. And that's when I had a panic attack for the first time. They started to get easier over the years as I started taking pills and seeing doctors. I guess I'm fine now, but I can't be so sure when we are talking about a party.

But I couldn't live like this forever, right? Not doing anything exciting, not trying something new. I could do this, at least, I wanted to believe that I could.

"Yes" I said. "Tell him to add me to the list. We have a party to attend, Valdez!"

"My dreams are coming true." Thalia seemed so happy after my decision to go to a party after months now. "I promise it's going to be fine. You are better now. Plus, I'll take care of you."

"I don't need anyone to babysit me Thals. I can take care of myself."

"We know that you are, we just want you to know that all of us will be there, you are not going to be alone." Said Piper. Her, Thalia and Hazel came to my house after school today and we were trying to get ready for the party. We only had a couple of hours left.

"I know guys, and I appreciate it, really." I smiled at them gratefully. "But now, we have to decide what we're going to wear."

I ended up wearing high waisted dark jean shorts with a red cropped tank top. Thalia chose black jeans with a dark blue blouse while Piper wore a white spaghetti strap dress and Hazel had a black mini skirt and a light blue top.

_Wow _I thought. I was really doing this. This was so not me.

"Let's do this."

"Stop freaking out you're making us worried." Said Thalia as we reached Percy's house. "It's going to be great. No stressing out."

"I'm not stressing out Thalia, I'm fine. Also-"

"And she did come! Wow, Annie. I never really thought you actually would." Jason just popped out without me noticing.

"Yes, Jase, I did. And now I really need something to drink or else I may lose my control in short time."

There was a lot of people. Every step I took, I was stepping on someone.

We met Leo and Frank inside and that's when our little drinking game began. It was like Truth or Dare, but it was only dare. It was my turn when Leo had the craziest idea.

"Okay so I want you to go to Luke Castellan and tell him how you really feel about him."

"Ouch!" was all that left Thalia's mouth.

"What?" I asked. "You don't really expect me to do that, do you now?"

Okay so maybe I should tell you about this whole situation. Luke is a junior now but he used to be my best friend when we were in elementary school. He was like an older brother to me who protected and looked after me. Around maybe 7th grade, I decided that I had feelings for him; feeling you wouldn't feel about an older brother. I was so hopeful, I did everything I possibly could to make Luke like me that way. But things don't always happen the way you want them to. He started dating Silena Beauregard. Silena was absolutely out of my league, being so much more beautiful than me with her dark hair and chocolate brown eyes. She had a seducing appeal, and no one could say no to her. I don't know her personally, but I've heard that she was a nice person and to my luck, she was dating Beckendorf now.

Back to Luke, he started talking to me less and less since he started dating Silena till it reached the point which he didn't even bother to say hi to me when he saw me. And I just let it go. How kind of a friend is he if he treats his friend like that?

"Yes!" Leo seemed so happy when I got up from my seat.

What was I thinking anyway. I couldn't say anything to Luke, but I couldn't go back to the group. I could not call chicken when I have humiliated every single one of them for being cowards.

I wasn't drunk, but a dizziness kicked in when I was trying to walk through dancing people. I could feel myself sweating. I couldn't breath or move; neither could I feel my hands and fingers. When my foot tripped on something, I felt the tears starting to burn my eyes. The whole room was spinning around me until I crashed into someone and felt hands on my shoulders.

"Annabeth?" a voice said. "Are you okay?"

I was trembling and the sense of terror just wouldn't leave my mind.

"N-no" I forced out. "I can't-I- I don't"

I felt my legs go weak but somebody caught me.

"It's okay. You're gonna be fine. Just hold on a bit. I will take you out of here."

I spotted the piercing sea green as my eyes got heavier and I couldn't keep them open anymore.

I woke up to a terrible headache and a comfortable bed. I was in a room which I could still hear the music coming from the party. So it was still on. I didn't want those voices anymore. I didn't want all of those people. I wanted my friends, and I wanted to be safe.

Actually, the room felt safe. It smelled like sea, for some reason, and it was nice and calming.

Then I remembered. I remembered what the-worst-friend-in-the-world Leo told me to do and how I ended up. And to my luck, I remembered who helped me.

I jumped in my seat when the door opened. Percy came in with a cup in his hand.

"Oh, so you woke up. Want coffee? Coffee is your best friend in drunk situations."

"I'm not drunk." I replied. I know, he was treating me nicely and I had to return it, but I felt so uncomfortable talking about my weak spot.

"Well, okay then. No coffee. If you were not drunk, what happened to you over there?"

I stayed silent. I didn't know what to tell. I didn't even know him, and I was going to tell him about my seizures? Yeah, sure.

"You don't want to answer? No? Okay, that's your choice, but whatever that was, you need to control that. You can't always find heroes like me everywhere."

"Don't you think I've tried?" it was more of a tired release of tension than a question. I felt tears again. I felt so pathetic.

He looked at me. Really looked at me this time, I could feel it. Almost like he understood my burden.

"I'm sorry." He said. His voice was so soft that I had to check twice if I really was talking to Percy Jackson.

He put the cup on his desk and sat next to me.

We fell into a silence but it was ridiculously comfortable. My tears were falling without restrain. I put my head on his shoulder which surprised me because I am not that kind of a person; someone to feel comfortable with a person they know so little about. But it felt so safe there, I just wanted to stay like that, not even shifting.

But it surprised me more when he put his arm around my shoulders and started whispering slowly in my hair.

"Whatever it is, it's alright. Don't be afraid. You are not alone now."

**And here is the second chapter for you guys and I hope you enjoyed it. Reviews maybe? No? Not a single one?**


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